Spots and Strips
by Monkey D. Anea
Summary: It was a innocent question asked over dinner, it was simple. But all the same, it made Law freeze and Robin notice.


It was a conversation over dinner, Law remembers, the rice was being passed around in its white bowl with flower designs, when it was finally handed back over to the navigator who took it from Usopp while she was discussing something with the archaeologist that Law didn't pay attention to at the time.

It was usual in the Straw Hats' routine, with the Straw Hat pirate captain yelling about more food and trying to steal from his crew mates plates. The only change was when she called his idiotic ally's name.

"Luffy!"

His idiotic ally's head snapped towards her, food stuffed in his mouth with two plates in his hands, passing the rest of the things around after stacking his own plate full when she asked the seemingly innocent question that caught most of the Straw Hats' -including Law's- attention.

"Why do you call Law Torao?"

All heads looked toward the pirate captain who smiled and began explaining which the feisty and terrifying woman cut off very quickly, already reading the straw hat wearing captain's mind.

"Not just because his name starts with a T! Idiot..."

Luffy rubbed the back of his neck laughing and smiling before explaining once again without interruption the question that shouldn't have irked Law the way it did.

"It's 'cause Torao has these spots on his hands that're sorta hard to see." Luffy said simply, while grabbing more food to shovel down his throat.

"Which looks more like an awesome snow leopard but it woulda sounded weird compared to Torao!" he said after swallowing, but quickly went back to eating afterwards. It was simple, but it made Law pause while a few of the Straw Hats' glanced towards him and the others went 'oh' or hummed in appreciation.

Robin noticed how the man had tensed and stared at her captain incredulously before his hat shielded his eyes and he went back to placing food on his plate and passing it along. Her sharp eyes caught how he tugged his sleeve further down without touching it and made carefully sure not to let it raise above his wrist. Like shielding a secret from her crews curious eyes.

Robin's lips formed a tight line.

He waited until dinner was over, like a gentleman, before stalking from the galley quietly and disappearing to somewhere on the ship, she would have looked if not for the feeling that the man in question wouldn't take kindly to such a thing, and because her captain needed to correct a mistake he didn't realize that he made. So subtly, she walked toward him during the chaos known as her crew, leaned down to his ear while he stared at her questionable, pausing in eating, she smiled and whispered: "It seems our Torao has something bothering him."

Luffy opened his mouth to speak with a smile, until she spoke firmly, but gently.

"I believe he's sensitive about a subject from his past Captain, a subject that you mentioned at dinner." He blinked owlishly up at her, his eyes flicking to where their spotted hat wearing ally was sitting then towards the door before looking back up, his big blackish-brown eyes meeting hers in disdain and worry.

Robin grabbed the napkin Sanji placed beside her captain's plate that her precious captain does use to the best of his ability for Sanji's benefit, which the blonde haired chef does take notice of and always smiles behind his hand when seeing their captain attempt to use it, calling him an idiot affectionately and doing it for him. But after all, the best deserves to be spoiled, and her captain's the best.

She dabs the napkin at the corners of his mouth, smiling and speaking quietly for only him to hear. "People make mistakes, Captain, and luckily this one can be forgiven." And watched as he frowned at her before looking down, staring at the floor with his lips in a pout.

Robin stepped back as Luffy rose from his seat, looking down at his hands, preparing to wipe them on his shorts before remembering the napkins on the table, and wiping his slender, yet pudgy, fingers and calloused palms on the fancy little thing and tossing it on the table, throwing a quick "Thanks, Robin!" over his shoulder, before he ran to the galley's entrance.

The mysterious women smiled and whispered to herself, "You really like Traffy, don't you Captain?"

The rowdiness in the background increased.

* * *

Law knew that his straw hat wearing ally would eventually notice his absence and go looking for him, he just didn't anticipate how long it would take. Not four minutes after he left did he hear his obnoxious ally's voice booming from the ships deck.

"Torao!" Law scowled as that happy, smiling face found him and quickly tried to attach himself to his waist. If only scowling and carrying a deadly weapon deterred Straw Hat.

"Get off me, Straw-Hatter!"

During the struggle, Law tried to desperately detach the rubbery limbs from himself to the point that Luffy could even tell that the dark surgeon's patience was wearing thinner than usual.

With a final tight squeeze to Law's waist, Luffy unwrapped himself and plopped on the floor, the smack of his sandals echoing across the deck and his smile faded to only the crinkle in his eyes. At the sight, the moon felt heavy on Law's back.

Law narrowed his eyes in suspicion for any of the Straw Hat Captain's antics while Luffy smiled back and almost seemingly waited for something invisible to fall out of the sky before he grinned and Law felt his body relax despite himself.

"Shishishi~ Torao's moody!"

Law narrowed his eyes at the snickering teen, feeling his eye twitch in annoyance as the urge to slice the younger captain into pieces grew more than usual.

Luffy's snickering stopped, a big smile on his face as he looked up at the morbid man who stared back annoyed, while his teal eyes glinted in hidden confusion.

"I like the spots on Torao's hands." Law's breath left inaudible and the grip on his nodachi tightened, while he stared down brown coals known as his ally's eyes.

Luffy tilted his head and grinned back, "It makes him who he is!" and he laughed again. Law's shoulders dropped gently as his posture relaxed, while relief with something he didn't think he needed settled over him.

Acceptance.

Law felt the corner of his lips twitch, "You're strange, Straw Hat." His closed teal eyes opened, meeting laughing, wide brownish black eyes.

"Shishishi! Yeah! But you're weirder!"

"Whatever you say, Straw Hat."

"Hey! You are!"

They walk toward the party, throwing words back and forth at each other.

Robin smiled as her eye retracted from the wall. She waited for her captain and ally to return to the party.

"It seems like our Traffy likes you as well." Robin whispered with her hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.

A star twinkled overhead, seemingly in agreement.


End file.
